10a. We’ll talk about why words and ideas are important for getting us from here to there, but you get to choose a lot of the words to talk about.  That means your favorite songs, books, blogs or other meaningful messages.

Old Faithful (National Park Service photo)

10b.  Ed Abbey, John Muir, Todd Snider, Woody Guthrie, and plenty of other great writers, singers, and thinkers.  Including you.

9. Geysers!

8.  It’s an interdisciplinary studies course.  Everybody needs one of these under the new GEP, but they’re not easy to come by.

7.  There will be no bureaucrats allowed in the vans, but if any sneak in, we’ll make them lead us in a game of Cards Against Humanity.

6.  Cool final projects that you can choose from: working on future plans for the Yellowstone Trail Association, Renville County Historic Society, Greenville Greenbelt Agricultural Enterprise Area, Dacotah Prairie Museum, or some other project.  Plus, our class may get to do a presentation at the Yellowstone Trail Heritage Days in Hudson, Wisconsin, in June.

5a.  Bison!  Bears!  Wolves!  Chipmunks!

Upper Falls of the Yellowstone (National Park Service Photo)

National Park Service Photo

5b.  Waterfalls.  Big ones.

4.  Camping in state and local parks and at a fairgrounds, plus a great hostel to stay in outside Yellowstone, and all meals included.  When else will you get a chance to sleep next to a historic train depot?  (See itinerary)

3.  You can finally post on Facebook for class points. No kidding.

2.  You’ll automatically get a membership in the Words Are Roads Party.  Changing the world at WARP speed!  Includes free group insurance against on-campus bison stampedes.

1.  Even if Yellowstone sinks into a massive caldera, you’ll still have three credits and a lifetime of wonderful memories. And did I mention interdisciplinary studies?*